Hospital. Braley was elected into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2012. He was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2019, in recognition of his contributions to the CFL and his community. Political career Braley was appointed to the Senate of Canada on May 20, 2010, to represent the province of Ontario on the advice of Prime Minister Stephen Harper three days after Conservative Senator Wilbert Keon reached mandatory retirement age. A member of the Conservative Party of Canada caucus, Braley had made donations to the Conservative Party and Stephen Harper among others, totaling $86,500, prior to his appointment. In contrast to the opposition expressed by other professional sports leagues, Senator Braley spoke out in favour of the private member's bill C-290, which went before the Senate and, if passed, would allow the provinces to license single sports betting. He further stated that, due to his position as a sports team owner, he would abstain from voting on the bill. The bill was ultimately stymied in the upper house and did not pass. Braley resigned from the Senate on November 30, 2013, without stating a reason. However, he had earlier told a newspaper that his wife asked him to consider leaving as the ongoing Canadian Senate expenses scandal was hurting the reputation of all Senators. Braley told the Hamilton Community News in September 2013 that "There are four people who are causing the problems for the other 100 senators" and "We are being tarred and feathered" as a result. Later years and death Braley was hospitalized in 2016 with a foot infection related to diabetes. He died in his sleep on October 26, 2020, at his home in Burlington, Ontario. He was 79, and suffered from an undisclosed long-term illness. In his will, Braley is reported to have left a considerable amount of money to the BC Lions organization with the intent that the team be funded for several seasons and be debt free when sold to its next owners. References External links Senate biography 1941 births 2020 deaths Anglophone Quebec people BC Lions owners Businesspeople from Montreal Businesspeople from Ontario Canadian Football League commissioners Canadian senators from Ontario Canadian sports businesspeople Conservative Party of Canada senators Canadian chief executives Canadian Football Hall of Fame inductees Hamilton Tiger-Cats owners Hamilton Tiger-Cats team presidents McMaster University alumni Officers of the Order of Canada People from Burlington, Ontario Politicians from